Portable air distribution device

ABSTRACT

A device for controlling air having a thermal differential between a higher and a lower location, having a tube with two ends and a length that traverses the distance between the higher and lower locations, with one end of the tube at the higher location and one end of the tube at the lower location, for the transfer of air therebetween and having openings at each of the ends for the air to pass at both the higher and lower locations inwardly and outwardly, a bi-directional fan for moving the air through the tube inwardly and outwardly as necessary, a switch or thermostat for switching the bi-directional fan on and off for determining the inward and outward direction and velocity of the air flow; and power for powering the bi-directional fan.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of air temperaturemanagement, and more particuarly to a portable air distribution devicefor the uniform distribution of air within a defined space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The temperature of a gas is a measure of the speed of its molecules.Increasing the temperature of a gas increases the average speed of themolecules. Cooler air molecules are denser than are warmer molecules ofair, and move more slowly. Accordingly, when air is heated, it expandsand becomes less dense, moves more quickly, and rises. Heated air thustends to stagnate along the uppermost portion of the room, typically theceiling. When air is not uniformly distributed, cold dense air sinksdownwardly, pushing the warmer, less dense air upward.

Thus, cooler air tends to remain adjacent to the lower portion of theroom, typically the floor, and warmer air adjacent the ceiling. Simplyput, temperature disparities within a chamber of air, such as in atypical rectangular room, cause the warmer air to rise to the ceilingand the cooler air to sink to the floor. The hotter the air relative tothe temperature of the surrounding air mass, the faster the air rises.

Temperature disparities in a given space cause temperature gradients inwhich air becomes stratified based on density. This phenomena is knownas thermal stratification. Cooler, denser air forms the lower level ofair, while warmer, less dense air forms the upper level of air. Airstratification creates drafts, which decreases heating efficiency, andincreases energy consumption. Moreover, the drafts and pockets caused byair stratification cause discomfort to those occupying the effectedspace. It is therefore desirable to have a room with a uniformtemperature, for reasons of both cost and comfort.

Forced air heating, ventilation and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systemstypically found in modern buildings operate via a thermostat, typicallycentrally located on a wall to be set at a temperature that isdetermined at that specific location and causing air to be expelled froma centralized unit, such as a furnace or air conditioner: air which iseither cooler or warmer than the ambient air (as called for by thethermostat), through ducts which then empty into vents located atvarious locations of a given room, either on the floor, ceiling, orwalls, purportedly for regional distribution (in a room, hallway, orother location).

Likewise, non-forced air HVAC systems are typically for heating solely(as air-conditioning is ordinarily forced air) and typically utilize thesame controller (the thermostat) to call for heat (which is radiant intypical fashion when not forced air, through radiators, base-boardheating and the like). Such systems take advantage of the fact thatcooler air is floor-located, and hotter air rises: hence such systemsare typically proximate to or on the floor, with the expectation thatthe heat will rise. Yet, the thermal delta between ceiling and floor ispresent, regardless of whether the HVAC system is forced, radiant orconvection.

Due to temperature and density, air becomes stratified, thus causingwarm air to rise above the level of the occupants. As a result, duringcool weather, heated air will rise to the uppermost portion of a room,rather than remaining at the level of the occupants, thus creating theneed for additional output of heated air, which requires additionalenergy consumption. The reciprocal applies to cooler air in hotterclimates. If, however, the air were uniformly distributed, less heatedor cooled air, and hence less energy would be required to maintain thesame volume of space at the desired temperature.

Shown in the art are devices which attempt to overcome temperaturestratification via use of a fan to blow air from one area to another.See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,025 to Wiley, U.S. Pat. No.3,827,342 to Hughes, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,095 to Dooley et. al.However, such devices have been ineffective in overcoming temperaturestratification because heated air, which rises to the top of a givencolumn of air, is not easily mixed with cooler air, which falls to thebottom of a given column of air. Blowing air causes air to movegenerally in a desired direction, however much of the air will becomelost in route while reaching the desired location, such as a floor orceiling. Consequently, devices heretofore known which merely utilize alarge ceiling fan or similar devices to distribute air are ineffectivein that air rises and falls faster than it can combine, thus preventingthe air from achieving a uniform temperature. In order to create auniform temperature using a device having predominantly a large fan, thefan must discharge the flow of air at an extremely high rate (for whichceiling fans are ill-equipped), resulting in undesired effects such asturbulence, noise, and increased energy consumption.

Also shown in the art are devices which attempt to circulate air bycreating localized pockets as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,605 to Lessage,which discloses an air circulating method and device in which a fan isused to blow air in a circulating conduit, created by the positioning offurniture, to circulate the air within a desired space within a room.U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,440 to Schmidt et. al., shows a method and apparatusfor ventilating or air conditioning occupied rooms which essentiallyextends vertically, via ducts, the existing vents in an HVAC system(typically found in the floor and/or ceiling), in order to permit theoccupant of the room to move the vents to desired positions to expelheated or cooled air at a desired height.

Yet, none of these prior devices show a simple, movable columnarmechanism for providing air distribution uniformly in a simple andinexpensive manner.

It is thus an object of the instant invention to provide a portable airdistribution device which provides an efficient means of distributingair to prevent temperature stratification without creating a significantincrease in energy consumption.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air distributiondevice which can be easily installed, moved and maintained.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the entirety ofthe specification, drawings and claims are read and understood by one ofordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The various features of novelty which characterize the present inventionare expressly and unambiguously delineated in the claims annexed to andforming part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of thepresent invention, its practical advantages, and specific objectsattained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings anddescriptive matter in which there are illustrated and describedpreferred embodiments of the invention.

The device as shown is for controlling air having a thermal differentialbetween a higher and a lower location, having a tube with two ends and alength that traverses the distance between the higher and lowerlocations, with one end of the tube at the higher location and one endof the tube at the lower location, for the transfer of air therebetweenand having openings at each of the ends for the air to pass at both thehigher and lower locations inwardly and outwardly, a bi-directional fanfor moving the air through the tube inwardly and outwardly as necessary,a switch or thermostat for switching the bi-directional fan on and offfor determining the inward and outward direction and velocity of the airflow; and power for powering the bi-directional fan.

The portable air distribution device of the present invention contains ablower means (a fan) to distribute air. Said blower means distributesair through a duct portion, having two distal openings, which allow foringress and egress of air, respectively. When the duct portion ismaintained in a vertical position, the warmest and coolest volumes ofair (typically at the ceiling and floor levels, respectively) are movedto an area in which there is air of the opposite temperature extreme, inorder to achieve uniform distribution of air, and reduce thermalstratification. The portable air distribution device of the presentinvention can also be used so that the duct portion is maintained in ahorizontal position, if desired.

Said distal openings may also include a plurality of louvers which candirect air in a plurality of directions. Additionally, said louvers maybe rotated or closed, to direct and/or restrict air flow.

The blower means of the instant invention is reversible so as to operatein a clockwise and counter-clockwise manner for bi-directional airmovement. Changing the direction the blower means operates (eitherclockwise or counter-clockwise) will determine whether air is drawn intoor expelled from a given distal opening, and will vary depending uponwhether the user wishes to a primary volume of air in a given verticalcolumn of air up or down, and the location of said primary volume ofair. For example, when the primary volume of air to be moved is adjacentto the ceiling, the user will then set the device for operation suchthat the upper opening of said duct portion moves air downward,expelling the air from the lower opening of said duct portion.Conversely, when the primary volume of air to be moved is adjacent tothe floor, the user will then set the device for operation such that thelower opening of said duct portion moves air upward, expelling the airfrom the upper opening of said duct portion.

The fan (blower means) can have a plurality of speeds, such as low,medium, and high; and may contain either a AC or DC motor, although DCis preferred. As it is recognized that it is preferable to move a largemass of air at low speeds over heating coils in order to effectivelyblow heated air (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,673 to Brunig), it is thenpreferable to include in a DC fan, which can operate at far slowerspeeds without compromising power, in a fashion better than thatprovided by an AC motor.

The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of thepresent also can include a telescoping duct portion that allows the userto adjust the length of the duct portion, which will often depend on thedistance between the floor and ceiling of a room; the desired length ofthe duct portion being directly proportional to the distance between thefloor and ceiling.

The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of thepresent can also include a filter therein so that when air is movedthrough the duct portion, the filter will trap contaminants of a sizelarger than the apertures present in said filter. The filter can be madeof material having apertures of varying size, yet it should berecognized that the size of the aperture in the filter is directlyproportional to the amount of air flow and the particles that can becaptured.

The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of thepresent can also include a heating element so that when air is moved bythe fan through the duct portion, the air would become heated as itpasses over the heating element.

The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of thepresent includes a removable attachment means, such as Velcro® oradhesive strips, which can be used to maintain the device of the instantinvention in a desired position along a planar surface, such as a wall,floor, or ceiling.

The preferred embodiment of the portable air distribution device of thepresent includes sensors, such as temperature, pressure, and densitysensors, which can automatically control when the device is turned offor on, or the velocity of the fan.

Other features will become apparent from reading the disclosure andclaims of the instant invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view in accordance with the preferredembodiment of the subject invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical view of the electronic components of thepreferred embodiment of the subject invention; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical view of the switching mechanism of thepreferred embodiment of the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, tube 2 contains the entirety of the instantinvention, and is tubular in design (although other variations, likerectilinear are not precluded and within the spirit of the invention).Tube 2 can be constructed of any air-moving material, although in thisinstance polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) is preferred as it is inexpensiveand simple to fabricate in accordance with the design. As shown air flowoccurs through the angular cuts at the top and bottom of tube 2, suchthat when cooler air is sought to be brought from the bottom section(typically proximate to the floor if placed in a room) it is directedoutwardly from the upper portion, and the reciprocal is the case whenwarmer air is sought to be brought downwardly from the ceiling, all asshown by the air flow arrows in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 further comprises attachment means 4 which, in this instance maybe Velcro®-styled such that the device can be moved to variouslocations, as needed. Attachment means 4 can also be hooking assemblies,as all such attachment means fall within the letter and spirit of theinstant invention. Conceptually, tube 2 is placed in a room, typically acorner, out of view, and operates in accordance with switch 12, as shownin greater detail in FIG. 3. Switch 12 enables the device to be turnedon and off, its speed regulated if desired, and a thermostat included,if desired, all as explained in greater detail in relation to FIG. 3.

Also shown in FIG. 1 is bi-directional fan 10 which receives itscommands from switch 12 to determine both speed and direction.Evidently, the direction of air flow is determined by the user dependingupon the room conditions and desire to have warmer or cooler air movedfrom ceiling to floor or floor to ceiling, as the case may be.

Tubular device 2 is powered by power supply 14, which can be a batteryor include a plug-in to the wall with a transformer, when necessary (notshown, but known to one of ordinary skill in the art). Since most fans(like fan 10) are DC powered, batteries are preferred, although thetransformer will, as well, provide DC power for the fan to operate.

Sensors 8 perform a direct function in the preferred embodiment byrendering the operation of the device virtually automatic. Such sensors8 are temperature sensitive, such that when a difference is detected,the switch is on, the thermostat is set (when provided), the unit willoperate automatically to switch the direction of fan 10 depending uponthe thermal differential between the sensors 8. It should be appreciatedthat sensors 8 can be located further upwardly or downwardly but must beof sufficient distance apart to detect the required thermal differentialfor the automatic feature to apply.

Likewise, tube 2 can be made in a plurality of differing heights andalso can be telescoping such that the device can accommodate rooms ofmultiple height dimensions.

FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic view of the electronic components of thepreferred embodiment of tube 2, wherein power is supplied via box 14(either battery or via wall outlet, as described hereinabove), throughthe switch/thermostat (see Ex. 3) to the bi-directional fan 10 and viathermal sensors 4 (when in automatic mode to determine thermaldifferentials, fan direction, and fan speed).

FIG. 3 represents the preferred embodiment of switch 12, wherein athermostat is shown 14 which judges the thermal difference betweensensors 8 (see FIG. 1) and automatically controls air flow and speedthrough the fan. Switch 12 contains, in this embodiment, three levels,specifically an off position at box 18 via sliding switch 16. Slidingswitch 16 slidably moves between off position 18 through high position20 through low position 22, thereby providing the ability of the user tocontrol fan speed when the automatic mode is not engaged via thermostat14. Thermostat 14 is of typical design in that it moves circularly andpossesses typical degrees for purposes of setting by the user.

Thus it can be observed that the design of tube 2, with its components,can provide dual action air flow at various speeds, can be placed in aplurality of locations, and will enable balancing of the thermaldifferential typically present in rooms.

While there have shown, described and pointed out fundamental novelfeatures of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof,it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions andchanges in the form and details of the device illustrated and in itsoperation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. It is the invention, therefore, to belimited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. A device for controlling air having a thermal differential between ahigher and a lower location, comprising: (a) air directioning meanshaving two ends, said means traversing the distance between the higherand lower locations, with one end at the higher location and one end atthe lower location, for the transfer of air therebetween and havingopenings at each of the ends for the air to pass at both the higher andlower locations inwardly and outwardly; (b) a bi-directional fan formoving the air through the air directioning means inwardly andoutwardly; (c) switching means for switching the bi-directional fan onand off and for determining the inward and outward direction of the airflow; and (d) powering means for powering the bi-directional fan.
 2. Thedevice of claim 1, further comprising attachment means for attaching thedevice to a user-specified location, in a relative vertical plane. 3.The attachment means of claim 2 comprising Velcro® or similar material.4. The device of claim 1, wherein the air directioning means is tubular.5. The device of claim 4, wherein the tubular air directioning means iscomprised of PVC.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching meansis an on/off switch.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the switchingmeans is a thermostat.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the switchingmeans is a high/low switch.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein theswitching means determines the velocity of air flow through the airdirectioning means.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the switchingmeans is a slidable switch between higher and lower velocities.
 11. Thedevice of claim 1, further comprising thermal sensors for determiningthe thermal differential.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein theswitching means comprises a thermostat that is regulated based upon thethermal differential.
 13. The device of claim 1, wherein the poweringmeans comprises a battery.
 14. The device of claim 1, wherein thepowering means comprises wall current.
 15. A device for controlling airhaving a thermal differential between a higher and a lower location,comprising: (a) a tube having two ends of length sufficient to traversethe distance between the higher and lower locations, with one end at thehigher location and one end at the lower location, for the transfer ofair therebetween and having openings at each of the ends for the air topass at both the higher and lower locations inwardly and outwardly; (b)a bi-directional fan for moving the air through the tube inwardly andoutwardly; (c) at least one sensor for sensing the thermal differentialand for sending a signal when the thermal differential reaches a certainlevel; (c) a switch for receiving the signal and causing thebi-directional fan to switch on; and (d) powering means for powering thebi-directional fan.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the switch is athermostat set to engage upon the sending of the signal.